According to his costars, Boy Meets World actor Ben Savage has ghosted his former castmates in recent years, and there may be a few reasons why.
Savage played the lovable main character of the hit ABC comedy, Cory Matthews, for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000, following his growth through middle school, high school, and college.
He would then return to the franchise in 2014, reprising his role in the show's spiritual successor, Girl Meets World (which starred My Life With the Walter Boys' Corey Fogelman). He would help lead that series for three more seasons before it came to an end in 2017.
Why Ben Savage Doesn't Talk to Co-Stars
Boy Meets World actor Ben Savage has notably distanced himself from his former co-stars, something that has long concerned fans.
Savage's 'ghosting' of his Meets World franchise cohorts dates back a number of years to around 2020, following the conclusion of the Disney Channel spin-off series Girl Meets World (which ran from 2014 to 2017).
Concerns about Savage's relationship with his former castmates burbled back up to the top of mind for many Boy Meets World fans recently though, thanks to a February 2025 episode of the Pod Meets World podcast.
The long-running podcast, hosted by Boy Meets World stars Rider Strong, Danielle Fishel, and Will Friedle, has notably featured many returning members of the Meets World family; however, Savage remains one of the few big names the podcast has still not stricken from its guest list.
Speaking on the February 24 episode of the podcast, co-host Will Friedle described the strained relationship the cast has with Savage, positing "Ben is one of the most important people I’ve ever met in my life and I can't stand the fact that he won't speak to us":
"Ben is one of the most important people I’ve ever met in my life and I can’t stand the fact that he won’t speak to us. And that’s what it is: He won’t speak to us."
He added that he could show fans "the last three years, literally, of messages and in the middle of a conversation with Ben, he just bailed on me:"
"I can show you the last three years, literally, of messages and in the middle of a conversation with Ben, he just bailed on me. Ben absolutely one day woke up and said, 'I don’t want Will in my life,' and never told me why."
This is in line with past comments from Friedle's Pod Meets World co-host Danielle Fishel (who played Savage's on-screen love interest, Topanga Lawrence).
In 2023, she told Variety that the former Cory Matthews actor "kind of disappeared from our lives" and has "ghosted" them completely.
Friedle shared his confusion and sadness about the 'ghosting' in the same interview:
I wish I knew why, to this day. We didn’t have a fight. There’s no falling out. There was no animosity. He just woke up one day, and decided I don’t want this person in my life anymore."
While Matthews has never outright provided a reason for the fissure that emerged between him and other members of the Boy Meets World, there are some popular theories regarding why he may have taken a step away from these relationships.
Ben Savage Moved into Politics
Some have speculated that Ben Savage's distancing himself from his Boy Meets World co-stars had to do with the fact that following the end of Girl Meets World in 2017 he shared ambitions to get into the world of politics.
According to reporting from before the launch of the podcast, Savage was initially in talks to join Pod Meets World as a permanent co-host; however, backed out to pursue office in some fashion (via US Weekly).
Savage ran in 2023 for Congress in California, after a 2022 run for Los Angeles City Council that proved unsuccessful. Announcing his House campaign, Savage posted on Instagram saying he "[believes] in standing up for what is right, ensuring equality and expanding opportunities for all:"
"Together, we can do better. I am a proud Californian, union member and longtime resident of District 30 who comes from a family of unwavering service to our country and community. I firmly believe in standing up for what is right, ensuring equality and expanding opportunities for all."
He ultimately never made it on the general ballot, not making it past the Democratic Primary, earning a meager 4% of the primary vote.
While this career change is not necessarily a reason he had to cut ties with the Boy Meets World family, one can see why he may have wanted to, as he attempted to turn over a new leaf and distance himself from that teen comedy star image he had forging since his TV debut in 1993.
His Boy Meets World Co-Stars 'Hate' Him
There has also been evidence to suggest that perhaps Savage's Boy Meets World co-stars "hate" the former leading man.
On the February 24 episode of Pod Meets World, special guest host Maitland Ward (who played Rachel on the series) remarked that the reason Savage cut ties with the rest of the cast was because "[they] hate Ben," directly addressing hosts of the podcast Rider Strong, Danielle Fishel, and Will Friedle:
"I think there’s a divide too because you hate Ben. And you guys hate [series creator Michael Jacobs]."
This caused a tense exchange between Ward and the rest of the Pod Meets World cast in which Eric Matthews actor Will Freidle broke down the tense relationship the pair had gone through over the years.
Ben Wanted Some Space
Another popular theory among fans is that Ben Savage simply wanted space.
The Boy Meets World star has been the face of the franchise since its debut in 1993 (when he was just 13 years old). Now 45, the actor spent more than two-thirds of his life to this point known for being a part of this particular ensemble.
While other names in the Meets World canon have gone on to become known for other things (i.e. pop megastar Sabrina Carpenter), Savage never really broke out beyond the series that started it all for him and has dominated much of his professional life.
If he wanted a bit of a breather following the end of Girl Meets World and then was quickly receiving calls about appearing on a podcast dedicated to the franchise or hearing from his co-stars from said series to reminisce about the show, then maybe he just became fed up and cut things off.
That is not to say the relationship between Savage and his former co-stars can never be reconciled, it just seems like (at least for now), Savage is keeping his distance from the Boy Meets World brand entirely.
Boy Meets World is now streaming on Disney+.
